artillery arc

Chapter 249 Viewing the Summer Palace from afar
November 11, St. Catherine's Castle, summer palace.

Tsar Nicholas V rushed out of the room early in the morning and loudly asked his butler: "How can there be thunder at this time?"

The butler looked troubled.

Nicholas V continued to question: "Tell me! There will be no thunder this season!"

The housekeeper then looked at the corridor window.

Nicholas V rushed to the window, held the window sill with both hands, and leaned forward as if he wanted to press against the glass.

He looked at the source of the distant thunder.

The housekeeper explained from the side: "That is Kalanskaya's Eternal Fort. It has a history of a hundred years. After the conquerors retreated from Ye Fort, it was built by military engineering experts at the time to protect Ye Fort forever."

Nicholas V held his hands on the window sill, stared at the fortress being bombed, and murmured softly: "Always defend Ye Fortress... Now he is going to be blown up by the enemy!"

The housekeeper immediately winked at the maid next to him and asked her to quickly find Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess.

Nicholas V looked at him, visibly calming down.

Of course, this is the situation in the eyes of others. In the eyes of Nicholas V, there is no princess at all, only his son Ivan Nikolayev Antonov.

"Do you think I will believe what you, a liar, say? The only truth you have said so far is that the enemy is getting closer! I want to shoot that Rokosov! Shoot him!"

Everyone knew that Nicholas V was almost driven crazy by the death of his son and the approach of the Prosin Army.

"Is the mud coming? It's coming, but has the enemy stopped? No!

Marshal Boris: "Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess is not pregnant. As far as I know, she has just had her period..."

"Liar, liar!" Nicholas V interrupted Marshal Boris, "You are all liars! You are deceiving me! Not a word of what you said is fulfilled! You are all liars! You are a liar, Tukhache My husband is a liar, Belinsky is a liar, and that Rokosov is also a liar! I want to shoot Rokosov, now, immediately!”

But generally speaking, no one would think of Princess Olga Nikolayevna Antonov as the late crown prince.

"General Winter is here too. Look what is falling in the sky? It's snow! But has the enemy stopped? No! The enemy's artillery has hit Eternal Fort! Eternal Fort! Or some other fort! The war has been lost. !”

At this time, Marshal Boris and General Tukhachev arrived.

Marshal Boris said: "Your Majesty! The front line reported that the enemy does not have many artillery shells anymore, and their offensive has been weak. And although winter has come, it has not reached the coldest time..."

In recent days, as the Prussian Army approaches, His Majesty the Tsar's mental condition has become more and more fragile. He loses his temper and yells from time to time. Only when the Crown Princess is around will he return to normal.

At this moment, the Crown Princess Olga appeared. She said directly in a male tone: "Father, what's wrong with you?"

It is said that Crown Prince Ivan once wore women's clothing and played with people at a masquerade party. His appearance was also somewhat androgynous.

His Majesty the Tsar gently took Olga's hand, completely unaware that the girl's hand was much slender and softer than the prince's.

After all, Olga's height and figure are far different from her brother's. Although her face is somewhat similar, it is only a similarity.

"Here you are, Ivan." He said softly, "I'm talking about that damn dandy friend of yours who is misleading people."

Nicholas V chased for a few steps and stopped. He knelt on the ground and pressed his hands on the carpet: "You guys are liars! Liars! You said that the enemy will be blocked, and that General Mu and General Dong will make the enemy stop. !

Now that the Plosen Army is shelling the Eternity Castle within sight of the Summer Palace, there is no need to think that it will definitely aggravate His Majesty's "illness".

As soon as the maid left, Nicholas V became hysterical, picked up the vase placed in the corridor and smashed it to the ground. Not happy after smashing one, they rushed to the second one, but the two maids who had been prepared picked up the table with the vases and ran away.

Nicholas V seemed to have thought of something, and stood up directly and said to everyone: "Where is Rokossov? He lied to me, saying that mud will block the Plosin people, and the cold winter will block the Plosin people. , none of them came true!
"The iron wall of his empire doesn't block anything! But it made my daughter's belly bigger!"

Olga said softly: "Come inside, it's cold outside."

"No, no, Ivan, I want to sit in your study and let's have a good chat like old friends."

With that said, Nicholas V dragged Princess Olga forward.

----

In Ivan's study, Nicholas V sat down on the single sofa next to the fireplace and looked at the ground slumped.

"The war is lost."

Olga looked behind her and made sure the door was closed, and then replied with confidence: "Father, we haven't lost yet, the enemy is at the end of its strength. Yesterday, the number of artillery shells they fired across the board was greatly reduced."

Nicholas V: "That's a scam! The enemy's artillery has already hit that damn castle! It's the castle you can see every day! That castle has become part of the scenery of the summer palace, and now he is being bombarded ! Bombardment!"

After a brief excitement, Nicholas V curled up on the sofa and looked at the ground: "Everything is over. Why don't the generals know? What are they fighting? The war has been lost..."

Olga's expression was complicated.

During the state funeral, my father's fighting spirit was ignited by his brother's death, but now this fighting spirit has completely dissipated.

Olga thought: This fighting spirit can be wiped out so easily, which makes people doubt the importance of her brother in her father's heart.

As if she were seeing her father for the first time, she looked at him carefully, her expression involuntarily filled with contempt.

——After all, he was a puppet who was promoted. Later, the old aristocracy and the old forces rallied around him, not because of his ability, but because of the crown.

Suddenly, Olga suddenly realized how terrible and how rebellious her thoughts were. However, a voice whispered in her ear: "Aren't all empresses in history like this?"

Olga pushed away this idea and concentrated on playing the role of elder brother and coaxing His Majesty the Tsar.

----

A neutral zone far away from the battlefield, the seaport city of Sofia.

Fiodovich, the only agent of the "Krate Bureau", was checking the latest newspapers of Prosen and Ant. The front page headline of Prosenia's largest official newspaper caught Fiordovich's attention.

This article has only one meaning, that is, under the fierce offensive of the Plossian army, the Ant Empire will surrender soon, just like the Carolingians. The subjects of the Plossian Empire can wait for the news of victory. The great Emperor Prosen will hold a grand celebration.

Fiodovich looked at the report and fell into thought.

In fact, the Krat Bureau had no way of contacting the so-called remnants of the Chongsheng Sect, and Fedovich didn't even know whether the Chongsheng Sect's Restoration Organization really existed.

He only knew that he was indeed a remnant of the Chongsheng Sect.

The large amount of intelligence sent out from the Krat Bureau every day is actually made up by Fedovich based on newspapers from various countries. Of course, as a writer, even if Fedovich makes it up, he will try not to contradict each other, and sometimes even make up the information. Anaphora.

In addition, Fedovich paid great attention to compiling intelligence according to the preferences of his employer, the Prosen Empire.

He read newspapers to speculate on the opinions of the empire's senior officials, even the emperor.

After seeing this front-page headline, he found an issue of Ant's tabloid published in October. He read the article saying that the Tsar might have a physical problem, thought about it for a while, and then started writing.

----

November 11, Eagle's Nest.

Duke Redwitz walked into the office of Emperor Plossen Reinhardt with great joy, and said to the emperor who was studying the map with the generals: "Your Majesty! What a happy event!"

Reinhard raised his head: "Why are you so happy?"

Duke Redwedge took out a document: "Our Crater Bureau has sent a new batch of documents, three of which are in mutual care, one from a supporter of the Holy Sect who works as a maid in the Summer Palace, and one who burns boilers in the Summer Palace. The supporters of the Zhongsheng sect and the hidden supporters of the Zhongsheng sect in Ant's headquarters.

"Based on these three pieces of information, it can be known that His Majesty the Tsar of Ant has been forced to be bedridden by the war situation and cannot take care of himself!"

Reinhard was shocked: "Really?"

"Yes!"

The Duke came to His Majesty and handed over the documents respectfully.

Reinhard grabbed the document, flipped through it quickly, then put it down, put his hands on the edge of the map, and looked at Ant's vast territory: "Great, great, the Tsar was originally pushed by the secularists. The adhesive is almost finished now. Even if Ant doesn't surrender, there will be civil strife!"

Giles, who has recovered, advised: "But the terrible situation on the front line will not change."

Reinhard: "As long as the enemy is in civil unrest, von Moltke and General Hoch of the 3rd Panzer Group will catch it! They will rush into Ekaterina Castle!

"Moltke's cannon is almost reaching the center of Yebao, almost reaching the Summer Palace! Victory is in sight, Giles! Do you understand, literally in sight!"

After speaking, Reinhard turned around and paced around the map, rubbing his hands while pacing: "The only thing left is to deal with the United Kingdom and the United States. We will find a way, we will find it!"

----

At 11 noon on November 16, Kalanskaya was controlled by the Prosen Army.

The commander of the Prosen Panzergrenadier Division who captured Kalanskaya personally led his team to wait at the gate of the Eternity Castle.

The snow on the ground is already three centimeters thick, and the world has basically turned white, but there is still a little black that is still showing its presence.

The commander of the Second Armored Group's car drove up the uphill road in front of the Eternity Castle, but stopped halfway.

The driver immediately got out of the car and opened the front hood to check.

General Feng Moltke got out of the car and came to the engine: "What's going on?"

Driver: "There is something wrong with the lubricant. Our lubricant is not suitable for the severe winter."

"Troubleshoot the fault as soon as possible." After Moltke finished speaking, he walked towards the Eternal Castle on the top of the mountain.

The Grenadier Division Commander came forward and said, "Your Excellency, General, we have prepared the artillery to bombard the Summer Palace, and we are just waiting for your order."

"Okay, let me take a look at the Ye Castle and the Summer Palace first."

"Please come this way." The teacher hurriedly led the way.

Twenty minutes later, Moltke climbed up to the tallest tower of the Eternal Castle and came to the east-facing window.

He raised his telescope and looked at the city that haunted countless Proson soldiers.

Finally, the ruler on his telescope was pointed at the Summer Palace.

Moltke: "I heard that the Tsar is still in the summer palace. Let's give him a big gift. Let's fire."

(End of this chapter)